On September 1, 2004 the FAA inaugurated a new pilot certificate dubbed the "sport pilot" that makes learning to fly easier and more affordable that ever. Intended primarily for recreational use, you can now become a pilot with as little as 20 hours of flight instruction! In addition, the FAA also created a new category of affordable "light-sport aircraft"!

On September 1, 2004 the FAA inaugurated a new pilot certificate dubbed the "Sport Pilot" that makes learning to fly easier and more affordable that ever. Intended primarily for recreational use, you can now become a pilot with as little as 20 hours of flight instruction!

What can you do as a Sport Pilot? Fly in daytime conditions, in good weather (3 miles visibility and maintain visual contact with the ground) Fly cross-country Fly up to 10,000 feet MSL (above sea level) Fly solo or with one passenger Share expenses with your passenger

What can you fly as a Sport Pilot? You can fly an aircraft meeting the requirements of the FAA's new "Light Sport Aircraft" rule up to 1,320 lbs (1430 lbs. for seaplanes) maximum level-flight speed of 120 knots (138 mph) one reciprocating engine unpressurized fixed or ground-adjustable propeller fixed landing gear

What kind of aircraft is that?In addition to making becoming a pilot more affordable, the FAA also made it more affordable to own this new category of aircraft!"Light Sport Aircraft" (LSA) includes new and existing aircraft that meet the following requirements:

Ultralights, home-builts, kit-builts, experimental (Experimental-LSA) and manufacturer-built ready-to-fly aircraft (Special-LSA) that meet the requirements of the LSA rule Some existing standard category aircraft already meet the requirements: the Piper Cub, Aeronca 7AC Champ and the Ercoupe 415C As a result of the new Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) rule, there is a large number of slick new affordable manufacturer-built ready-to-fly aircraft coming into the marketplace.

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> I am writing on behalf of all the certificated pilots out there with a
> denied medical who just want to fly Sport Pilot for fun.
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> In 2004, the FAA passed into law the Sport Pilot Ruling, which allows new
> pilots to aviation the chance to earn their wings without the need of a FAA
> medical certificate and accomplish fewer training requirements too. Just
> before the ruling passed, DOT came in with an exclusion whereby if a
> certificated pilot has ever had a medical certificate denied or revoked in
> any way, then that pilot cannot fly using sport pilot privileges. This is a
> case of Catch-22 from the start!
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> A new pilot to aviation IS allowed to fly Sport Pilot with the same or
> similar medical discrepancies as a pilot with a denied medical certificate
> and IS doing so today...this is so unfair!
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> This Catch-22 exclusion MUST GO and let's allow this long awaited Sport
> Pilot Ruling to be what it was meant to be.... a path for pilots of any
> experience level, with a denied medical or not, to fly just for FUN!
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> I am a certificated pilot and also a former Air Force pilot with a denied
> medical MANY years ago.
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> I believe that the FAA/DOT needs to act on this allowing many more
> certificated pilots back into the air again. We all know general aviation
> needs more pilots today!
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> Thank you for your time and effort.

We at Bristell Aircraft have made flying more affordable then ever. We have introduced Bristell Shares in Shirley, NY KHWV,Lancaster, PA KLNS, and the Villages, FL 5FA1.You can own a share in a new Bristell for only $175 per month and $50 per hour wet.

We are also introducing a lease program for new Bristell Aircraft for $11,000 down and $1452 per month.A CFI owner of a school can earn $59,000 per year if he can fly one lesson per day, five days a week and rent the plane 4 hours per week.This is based on a rental rate of $110 per hour wet and a CFI fee of $50 per hour.

Call Lou Mancuso, The Landing Doctor, for more info 516-658-1847

Last edited by loumancuso on Tue Nov 29, 2016 12:01 am, edited 1 time in total.

Hi Fast Eddie,Thank you for your kind words regarding the Bristell TDO Tail Dragger Option.I agree it is the most lust-worthy LSA. It is beautiful.

It only weighs 685 pounds, so it has a huge useful load of 645 pounds.

It has 100 hours of demo time and some minor damage from a gentle ground loop.

It needs a new home and I am looking for an offer, even if it seems too low.

Please, if you agree with Fast Eddie that this is a lust-worthy plane for you, please make an offer.A new 2017 TDO identically equipped would be about $175,000 We are asking $139,000 and would consider any offer.

I think Lou has great program. I am currently a student at Lancaster and fly the Bristell NG-5. Last week 11/23/2016 I did my first solo. The airplane is a fun, great flying machine. The share program to me is a no brainer! Once I complete my training I am certainly going into the program. That is the main reason I picked the school.

I do understand your point. Right now for me it is my best option. I am new to aviation. I began lessons last June, 2 months before my 60th birthday. I would love to own an airplane. But until that happens this program is a no brainer. Yes I do plan to do 1/8 share. What is does is locks my time in - so I will have a plane that I like flying, it will almost always be available within reason. When I buy a plane I want to be able to put 1/2 down so my financing costs are low. The last 10 years have been putting 3 kids through Syracuse University - not cheap....especially when your ex refuses to pay her half! So I wasn't going to screw my kids out what I promised them. So until I pick the right Powerball numbers - this works for me....

Last edited by pjdavis on Tue Nov 29, 2016 3:51 pm, edited 2 times in total.

Well...... is it an appropriate time .... now that 12 years into light sport, and it facing the opening of new easier medical standards for private pilots, perhaps as a new thread to open the topic "Did the Light Sport and LSA programs accomplish what was intended or expected?" and or "What's the future of Sport Pilot and LSA?"

I would submit that the cost of a new LSA (in most cases more than the base price of an Aston Martin) is well beyond the reach of most folks like me who want to give flying a go as a fun part-time hobby. And the lower than Private Pilot hours are only relevant if one starts seeing folks comment that they have been able to get safely qualified and licensed in those stated 20 hours, not 35-50 hrs as most seem to be reporting.

Perhaps I've answered my own question recognizing that flight is not for the faint of wallet?- lol

I believe the cost of aircraft ownership is cost prohibitive for most. However, renting a newer LSA is about the same price as renting an older Cessna or Piper. Regardless of how many hours it takes, you should be able to get a Sport Pilot certificate in less hours than it would take you to get a Private.

FastEddieB wrote:Not making any particular case, but scrolling back through this thread, for some reason the $139k for the Bristell taildragger does not seem as high to me as it did just about a year ago.

Still, one needs an “un-feint” wallet to dwell in that territory regardless.

Eddie, I could be wrong, but . . . I don't think the tail-dragger version of that airplane is selling very well. They have had some issues with guys handling it. That may account for the price drop.At face value, I don't care for the wing-tip ground clearance.

chicagorandy wrote:I would submit that the cost of a new LSA (in most cases more than the base price of an Aston Martin) is well beyond the reach of most folks like me who want to give flying a go as a fun part-time hobby. And the lower than Private Pilot hours are only relevant if one starts seeing folks comment that they have been able to get safely qualified and licensed in those stated 20 hours, not 35-50 hrs as most seem to be reporting.

Perhaps I've answered my own question recognizing that flight is not for the faint of wallet?- lol

The higher you go, the higher it gets! Like they say, "The sky is the limit!" But for those who have the will, they will always find a way. But I would submit, in your case especially, since you are closely wired into the EAA, an older Taylorcraft BC-12D or Aeronca Chief 11AC can be had for $20K-ish, and the EAA is rife with folks that could check out and make necessary repairs to your choice. And don't be afraid of the "Taildragger myth". I took a flight in a Piper J3 a while back, and found it to be an enjoyable, docile, easy to fly (all be it slow) aircraft. And landing it was easier than a Skycatcher. Insurance wise, I almost bought a '46 T-crate, but got a quote from Avemco first. Shock. Full coverage, only $294 a year. The plane was so good it was gone before I could make an offer. Oh, and just to close, the only person I ever heard of that got his SPL in 20 hours was an 8-year former Army helicopter pilot. Go figure.